My First Boat: maybe buying tomorrow. 2008 2275RL. a few questions

TexasMustang

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I've never owned a boat before and might be buying a 2008 Benington 2275RL.

I looked at the boat today on the trailer, and am going back tomorrow for a lake test.

I had a few concerns, I'd appreciate any feedback on how big of an issue these might be.

1. The boat has been stored in a covered slip at the marina in the water for summers. On trailer is covered parking for winter. There is some calcium buildup on the toons and the bottom part of outboard. How hard is this to clean/polish? Can I DIY?
2. One part of the back of the rear seat is torn along a seam. Can one section be repaired or does entire back need recovery? Estimate Cost?
3. Bimini cover is torn along two different seams -- seller says this can be resown and he has had other parts of the cover repaired already. Will the entire cover need replaced. What does this cost?
4. Trim Gauge does not work.

Other then this the boat is very nice. Seats are all very clean (except one tear I described).
Motor is a 150hp Mercury.
Boat has 550 hours.
Trailer is included in sale.
Seller bought the boat new and says it was serviced every spring. It has not been serviced this spring so needs done.

I plan on using this boat with the family. I will be towing Teenagers around on the tube or ski's. Will this have enough power to give a thrilling ride and throw teenagers off the tube? Seller said the top speed was around 30mph, but he wasn't really sure. My internet research made me thing it would do more like 40 top speed?

Anything else I should take a closer look at?

What should this boat sell for?
 
Is it a twin tube or a twin tube? You maybe under powered with that boat for a Thrilling ride for the kids. If it’s a twin tube I would expect mid 20’s at most for top end. Maybe more if it has lifting strakes. Take it for a ride and see what you think.
 
Is it a twin tube or a twin tube? You maybe under powered with that boat for a Thrilling ride for the kids. If it’s a twin tube I would expect mid 20’s at most for top end. Maybe more if it has lifting strakes. Take it for a ride and see what you think.
It's a tritoon and it does have lifting stakes.
 
It's a tritoon and it does have lifting stakes.
My estimate is top speed normally would be probably 34-38 R series tritoon with a 150. The R series is a bit heavier boat, so that has a small impact. However, you mention alot of growth buildup on the pontoons and the motors lower unit.

That growth slows down the boat A LOT. Also, from what I have read on here, it takes some serious work to clean them up. Even a little bit of growth will really curtail performance. That said, I believe there are a number of people in here that have had to do some power cleaning and can comment on that issue better.

It otherwise sounds like a nice boat, with just a few other issues to address. I have never dealt with the items you are inquiring about, so I will leave those to others more in the know.

For boat value, do a NADA estimate. Not perfect, but hopefully helpful. You could also try to compare to other similar tritoons nationally to get an estimate via Boattrader.com or other resources. There are record sales volume right now, so its a sellers market. Not ideal, but something to be aware of when buying right now - probably impacting price and seller flexibilty.
 
I would think the above estimates are pretty accurate when described as two toon and tri toon w lifting strokes however the best way to tell is to test drive. And I wouldn’t be surprised if WOT is in the 27-28 mph if the toons are that dirty
 
TM, I think you'll answer your speed question tomorrow during the lake test. That said, it is possible to acid wash the toons yourself but you should be very careful or you'll potentially cause cosmetic damage with any overspray. Same applies if you have the local marina do it for you (ask me how I know :(). You might expect to pay about $300 for that service. As for the vinyl seat and canvas repairs, they typically aren't that expensive unless you run into a situation where the canvas is rotted and the entire thing requires replacement. Good luck and let us know how it turns out.
 
https://www.nadaguides.com/Boats/Power-Boats Type in all of the parameters of the boat/motor/trailer and you will come up with pretty much what it's worth. Then start subtracting the damaged upholstery, the ripped Bimini top, the inoperable trim gauge etc. etc. and you'll come up with a fair price. Remember everything is negotiable! The pontoons can be power washed/acid washed. Like Michiman said be careful! Have an experienced professional do it. A good local upholstery shop can fix the tear in the seat. A canvas guy can fix the Bimini top. Everything costs money. Use this in your negotiation! I had a 2004 2275 RL tritoon I/O for 12 yrs! Excellent boat! Another member on this forum, who is no longer with us, Carl, had a 2007 2275 RL tritoon with a 150 Honda on the back. (Pretty much exactly like yours) His top speed was just under 40 mph and had a good hole shot! So this is the speed you pretty much can look forward to once you clean that crap off of the bottom. Let us know what you decide........
 
I am the new owner of a Bennington 2275RL!!!!!
Yamaha 150FL (incorrectly stated above Mercury).

Spent several hours on the lake and it seems to run great. Top speed was 33MPH according to speedometer and phone GPS. This is with the Full Length bimini top up. I'm hoping for closer to 40MPH with this closed and the tunes cleaned.

I'm sure I'm going to have questions so look for me to post them :) THANKS!
 
I am the new owner of a Bennington 2275RL!!!!!
Yamaha 150FL (incorrectly stated above Mercury).

Spent several hours on the lake and it seems to run great. Top speed was 33MPH according to speedometer and phone GPS. This is with the Full Length bimini top up. I'm hoping for closer to 40MPH with this closed and the tunes cleaned.

I'm sure I'm going to have questions so look for me to post them :) THANKS!
Congratulations!
 
Congratulations! Very exciting. Next up...pictures, pictures, pictures. ;)
 
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